Veterans

Office of Personnel ManagementParalegal Specialist in
Washington, District Of Columbia

Duties

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Duties

Summary

As a Paralegal Specialist at the GS-0950-12 with a full performance level of GS-12, you will be part of Retirement Services/Claims 1/Court Ordered Benefits,Office of Personnel Management. If selected, you will be responsible for considering and acting on all aspects and types of court orders.

Responsibilities

Review and approve recommendations and decisions made by other specialist, and provide regulatory guidance and assistance to less experienced specialists.

Respond orally and in writing to difficult inquiries from Congressional sources, attorneys, state agencies, retirees, survivors and others, providing clear, responsive explanations of actions taken and the bases for them.

Make technical determinations of former spouses' eligibility for court ordered benefits and health benefits when technical guidance is sparse or not available.

Develop and deliver formal lesson plans and training aids to prepare briefings, workshops, and formal trainings for specialists and managers.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

12

#### Job family (Series)

0950 Paralegal Specialist

Similar jobs

Paralegals

Requirements

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service

Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation

May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualifications

For the GS 12: You must have at least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that included performing duties such as interpreting law and regulation as applied to specific court orders; responding to difficult inquiries from various sources; making determinations of eligibility for court ordered benefits and health benefits; and the ability to lead and direct work teams.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

The full performance level of this position is GS-12.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=AlternateApplicationInformation

If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference (see https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx).

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

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How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For Category Rating: Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of the three quality categories: Qualified, Well Qualified, or Best Qualified. Qualified Category = Does not exceed the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement. Well Qualified Category = Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the Critical Competencies defined below. (This category must be met to be considered under ICTAP procedures) Best Qualified Category= Meets the basic qualifications requirements described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and excels in the Critical Competencies defined below. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Education and Training

Oral and Written Communication

Planning and Evaluating

Teamwork

Technical Competence

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligible within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent or higher will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 80 or above based on the competencies listed above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employeeguides/careertransition.asp.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Public Trust - Background Investigation

Required Documents

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Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

Your Resumeshowing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.

Other supporting documents:

Cover Letter, optional

Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; Current Active Duty members must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.)

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable(e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.

Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.

Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held
Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Benefits

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Benefits

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How to Apply

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How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST)on 03/23/2018 to receive consideration.

To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.

You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.

You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

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Agency contact information

Boyers HR Customer Service

Phone

724-794-5612X3096

Email

work4us@opm.gov

Address

OPM Human Resources
1900 E St., NW
Washington, DC
US

Learn more about this agency

Next steps

The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. Your ratings in this Assessment Questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application.

We expect to make a job offer within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

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Fair & Transparent

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.

An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.

An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency.

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Legal and regulatory guidance

Financial suitability

Social security number request

Privacy Act

Signature and false statements

Selective Service

New employee probationary period

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/493672900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.